Effect of aqueous extract of Terminalia catappa leaves on the glycaemia of rabbits

Diabetes is a disease which affects 5% of Côte-d’Ivoire population. This is a worrying prevalence rate. Our search for means of fighting this affection made us to develop an herbal medicine from decoction of Terminalia catappa leaves. During the experience we carried out, rabbits received, orally, a solution of glucose (4 g/l). As treatment, the hyperglycaemic rabbits were given, glibenclamide (0.25 mg/ml) and herbal medicine to drink, 0.6 ml per 20 grams of body weight. Before administration of glucose overload, the animals had a basal glycaemia of 1.11 g/l. The not treated rabbits’ glycaemia increased and reached 1.39 g/l. The oral administration of glibenclamide lowers blood sugar at 0.86 g/l, after 180 minutes. At 2.5 mg/ml, the herbal medicine does not induce a significant hypoglycaemic effect. At 10 mg/ml, it decreases the hyperglycaemia to 1.05 g/l. At 40 mg/ml, it induces a significant decrease in blood glucose. A fall of 30% was observed. At 40 mg/ml, its effect on hyperglycaemic rabbits is compared to glibenclamide (0.25 mg/ml). The glibenclamide exerts on normoglycaemic rabbits a significant basal glucose-lowering effect unlike herbal medicine. The herbal medicine appears like an antidiabetic and produces its hypoglycaemic effect mainly through alkaloids, sterols or triterpens.